


of cute critters and yurukyara

by nobrainjustchiakienstar



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Crush, First Dates, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Midori-typical Suicidal Thoughts, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27114547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobrainjustchiakienstar/pseuds/nobrainjustchiakienstar
Summary: He wasn’t staring, really, but he just couldn’t tear his gaze away from Yuzuru as he did menial tasks around the office.Yuzuru would look up, for sure knowing that someone was watching him, and he'd make eye contact with Midori through the conference room window before returning to his own work. Midori swore he might have seen the faintest hint of a smile on Yuzuru's face… maybe?Mao had to intervene.
Relationships: Fushimi Yuzuru/Takamine Midori
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	of cute critters and yurukyara

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fluerdumal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluerdumal/gifts).



> happy birthday, original copy! i've been sitting on this for a while but figured i'd finish it up on breaks while my wrists heal up as some kind of surprise lmao
> 
> it ended up longer than i thought it would be so uh... it's multi-chapter now

The shift to working in an office while still going to high school was… a lot. If Midori was already exhausted and wishing for death before being an idol and going to Yumenosaki, he was half-sure he'd already stepped into an early grave; working under StarPro with all the jobs that entailed, fitting in practices with both versions of RYUSEITAI, managing now first years (was he _that_ cringey last year?), on top of moving and even more schoolwork was just a special kind of purgatory.

God, he was so tired.

The only benefits to working in the office (besides not having to deal with  _ that person  _ all day, every day anymore) were that it was close to the dorms and he could skip school if he needed. That was nice.

Oh, and seeing Master Artist Fushimi more. That was a perk of the new office too, he supposed.

Midori often caught himself staring into the main part of the StarPro office during meetings in one of the attached conference rooms -- he never really had to listen that closely during meetings about RYUSEITAI anyway, knowing that at least Shinobu would be able to fill him in on details later -- and his eyes just happened to land on Yuzuru a lot. He wasn’t staring, really, but he just couldn’t tear his gaze away from Yuzuru as he did menial tasks around the office.

Occasionally, Yuzuru would look up, for sure knowing that someone was watching him, and he'd make eye contact with Midori through the conference room window before returning to his own work. Midori swore he might have seen the faintest hint of a smile on Yuzuru's face… maybe? Master Artist Fushimi was hard to read, and he probably wasn't all that happy about weird, gangly Midori staring at him, so Midori would always avert his gaze and pretend to be paying attention to whatever meeting he was in.

If anyone noticed him staring he’d be so embarrassed he’d want to die; luckily no one called him out on it.

Well, he  _ thought _ he was getting away with his Master Artist-watching, until one day, to his  _ horror _ , Midori accidentally made eye contact with Mao, just when he happened to be talking with Yuzuru. Midori watched helplessly as his club president and  _ supposed _ friend grinned devilishly at him from across the office and beckoned for Yuzuru to lean down a little so he could whisper something conspiratorially into his ear, and whatever he said made Yuzuru look in Midori’s direction with  _ that soft smile _ and Midori wished he could just fall through the floor right then and there. He just wanted this meeting to be done so he could run straight to the dorms and shut himself away for the weekend and try to recover from Mao’s betrayal.

However, he wasn’t so fortunate in escaping unnoticed, and he couldn’t simply _ignore_ _Master Artist Fushimi_ _himself_ when he called Midori’s name as they happened to be leaving the office at the same time.

“Takamine-sama.”

“Master Artist Fushimi!” Midori tried to ignore the way his pulse jumped hearing Yuzuru say his name, but he couldn’t stop his voice from coming out a bit like a yelp.

Yuzuru let out a little chuckle and Midori swore it was the most perfect sound ever, nothing less than perfection could come from  _ Master Arti-- _

“Would you like to join me for tea this evening, Takamine-sama? Or dinner, perhaps?”

Midori’s heart stopped at that, and he thought that maybe this is how he finally dies, but he stumbled over some kind of affirmation anyway and before he knew it he was leaving the office in casual stride with Yuzuru. He didn’t miss Mao’s triumphant grin as they passed, though. Are all basketball club captains supposed to be so  _ meddling _ ?

The walk down to Cafe Cinnamon was silent, save for the hammering of Midori’s heart in his chest that he swore Yuzuru could probably hear, but Yuzuru didn’t seem bothered by Midori being so… awkward.

It was comforting, in a weird way.

They found a table in the cafe a little bit away from the worst of the dinner crowd, and only once they were seated did Midori finally ask, “So… why’d you ask me to dinner? Is this some prank by Isara-senpai?”

“Even I wouldn’t be so cruel as to assist Isara-sama with something like that,” Yuzuru tapped the screen of his phone a few times before putting it away; Midori supposed he was placing his food order through the cafe’s app. Yuzuru leaned forward just slightly, bringing a hand to his chin with a small smile, “He did encourage this, yes, however I simply think you’re a cute critter and wanted to spend some time with you.”

Midori simply lost the ability to speak. He must have looked like a fish with how he opened and shut his mouth, floundering for the words to respond to such a direct answer.

“Takamine-sama?” Yuzuru asked with a concerned tone, “Have I done something wrong? Is that not agreeable?”

“No!” Midori waved his hands frantically, “I’m just surprised Master Artist Fushimi would ask someone like me on a date.”

Oh, he didn’t mean to call it a date. Midori wished for the sweet embrace of death to take him; perhaps his sudden inexplicable passing would make Yuzuru forget he’d said something so embarrassing--

“Fufu, would you prefer to call this a date, Takamine-sama? I’d like to, if you see it the same way.”

Midori fumbled with his phone, trying to pull up the cafe menu to order while he struggled to form a sentence. “S-sure.”

Well, a single word was close enough.

Yuzuru was patient with him though, visibly relaxing even at Midori’s weak response. After a few minutes of small talk about jobs and school, Midori found himself becoming less and less tense as well, choking on his words less and getting caught up in the flow of conversation easily, even after their food and drinks arrived. He still felt his heart jump whenever Yuzuru laughed, but it didn’t feel like he would choke on it anymore, which had to be a good sign, right?

Conversation carried them through their meal and then some -- they lingered at their table well after the waiter took their empty dishes, and by the time conversation finally came to an easy lull, Midori was comfortable enough to voice something he’d normally be too starstruck to:

“Hey, Master Artist Fushimi? I really like watching you draw.”

“Oh?” Yuzuru looked a little taken aback, “I’ll draw you something, if you would like. Though I’m not very go--”

“I’d treasure it forever! Anything made by Master Artist Fushimi is perfect!”

Laughing a little nervously, Yuzuru pulled a pen out of his pocket; Midori gathered a small stack of napkins and eagerly presented them to Yuzuru with more excitement than he’d had all month. Midori wasn’t disappointed though, watching the Master Artist scribble with masterful yet shaky hands was even better up close, and knowing the wonderful crudely-scrawled mascots he was creating were  _ just for him, by personal request _ was something Midori could never forget. He spouted nothing but praise for Yuzuru’s napkin sketches, even more delighted when Yuzuru signed the bottom corner of each at his request.

Once Yuzuru finished a small handful of doodles, he paused and looked around at the now-quiet Cafe Cinnamon. “Oh, it seems the cafe is closing already. It must be getting late.”

Midori was simply too engrossed in Yuzuru’s drawings to notice, but when Yuzuru pointed it out… they really had been there all evening, huh? “Aww, but I was having fun,” he pouted.

Cleaning up their table, Yuzuru gave him a little smile. “I was too, Takamine-sama. Shall we do this again soon?”

Midori stood and scooped up all of the napkin drawings, careful not to wrinkle them in the slightest as they needed be kept in mint condition. “Ah, if you want to?”

“I am asking what you would like, Takamine-sama.” They started heading toward the exit.

“I don’t want to demand that you… that you go out with me though.” Oh, Midori groaned internally, he did it  _ again _ .

Yuzuru simply bumped against his shoulder as they walked (when did they get so close? Midori tried not to yelp), chuckling a little as he teased, “Takamine-sama is surprisingly smooth. I will accept, of course. When are you free next?”

Oh, maybe Midori  _ wouldn’t _ need to hope for a coma tonight after accidentally being so forward. “Is… tomorrow too soon? Lunch maybe?”

**Author's Note:**

> (tag your slippy)
> 
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/shiinyniki)


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